I ate like a queen last night at Moonstones in Chelmsford, Mass. Scott Plath, who also owns Cobblestones in Lowell, is owner and chef of this chic, yet relaxing, tapas restaurant. We started at the trendy bar that was covered in a sparkling marble countertop, and run by a friendly, attentive bartender. I had the refreshing white Sangria, and shared some pepperoni focaccia for only $4 with my friends, thanks to Moonstone’s happy hour deals from 4 to 6 p.m. When our other friends arrived, we moved to a dinner booth and ordered enough tapas to feed all eight of Jon & Kate’s children. We had some more homemade focaccia, this time made with olive oil, roasted garlic, reggiano cheese and sea salt, as well as the marinated olives with white bean hummus; the artisan three cheese sampler plate, with goat, bleu and baby swiss cheeses; white truffle and parmesan cheese fries; scallops in bacon; and fried buffalo calamari with crumbled bleu cheese. Yes, the amount of food we consumed is shameful, but I’m not ashamed - the food was outstanding. I won’t go into detail about each dish, but the highlights for me were the addicting and not overly greasy shoestring fries, as well as the cheese plate, which came with crackers, candied walnuts and grapes. Washed down with plenty of pinot grigio, this is one meal I will be back for (and that didn’t empty my savings account). My only complaint: some food, such as the scallops, came to our table at room temperature or colder, when they should have been served warm. However, the flavors were perfect, and our waiter was right up there with them, so a few lukewarm plates were quickly forgotten.

Side note: Moonstones has more than tapas, too - entrees, sandwiches and salads are just a few of the other options they provide. Just be aware that entrees range from $20-60, roughly.